High Court Judge Fidela Corbin-Lincoln, has ordered the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Attorney General to pay $10 Million to Chairman of International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana IDPADA-G, Vincent Alexander, for statements made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and published by DPI back in 2022.

Mr. Jagdeo was not held liable, as the Court found his remarks to be made under qualified privilege, even though it also found that he failed to establish that the defamatory words were true in substance or in fact or that they were fair comment

At one of his press conferences, Mr. Jagdeo had accused Mr. Alexander of being part owner of the International Decade of People’s Of African Descent (IDPADA-G) organization—an organization that has benefited from millions of dollars in annual government subventions.

Mr. Jagdeo among other things, said Mr. Alexander was among a group of persons who are directly benefiting from the subventions and that the monies were not benefiting Afro- Guyanese groups. He went on further to state that the persons including Mr. Alexander, were living off of the backs of Afro- Guyanese.

The interview was then posted by the Government controlled, DPI.

Mr. Alexander had taken offence with the statements and had approached the Courts seeking relief and for the interview to be taken down.  

In her ruling, the Judge said, naming Mr. Alexander among a group of persons who benefit directly from the Government subvention to IDPADA-G  is capable of being a defamatory as they convey that the he is dishonest, holds himself out as believing in the Afro Guyanese cause for his own pecuniary interest and, as one of the beneficial owner of IDPADA-G, he is part of a group that has used public funds given to the company for his personal benefit to the detriment of ordinary Afro-Guyanese.

Among other things, she said the words uttered also convey the message that the claimant was unscrupulous and that he engages in unethical, immoral and illegal behaviour

“Having considered the words complained of I find that they are capable of the meanings alleged in that the words mean that the claimant is dishonest, lacks integrity and has engaged in conduct which was unethical, unscrupulous and insincere and was doing so for his personal financial benefit to the detriment of others including using public funds for his personal benefit. I find that the words complained of are capable of lowering the claimant in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society and are defamatory,” the Judge stated in her Judgment.

In addition to the $10,000,000 to be paid to Mr. Alexander, Justice Lincoln also ordered DPI to remove the interview by the end of this year, and pay $500,000 in costs to Alexander.

Mr. Alexander will have to pay Mr. Jagdeo costs of $350,000.

Related posts:

“Guyanese Critic” ordered to pay $8Million to Simona Broomes in libel suit Alexander demands apology and compensation from Jagdeo over “defamatory” statements Alexander to consult lawyer after Jagdeo accuses him of electoral fraud “I’ve helped more Afro-Guyanese than Eric Phillips ever will” . -Jagdeo